This invention relates to a distance detector device of the active lighting type which makes use of the principle of triangulation wherein a change in a photoelectric output of a light-sensitive element is detected to measure the distance to an object.
Various devices have heretofore been proposed for use as an automatic distance measuring device for a small camera or the like, that is, as a distance detector device for an automatic focusing camera, which project light by means of an active lighting means therein and receive and convert light reflected from an object into an electric signal which is suitably processed to detect the distance to the object. An example of such devices is disclosed in Japanese laid-open Pat. No. 55-89703 which discloses a device having a plurality of light-sensitive elements each corresponding to different object distances whereby that one of the light-sensitive elements which receives best the reflected light from the object is detected in order to measure the distance to the object. Another distance detector device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,418 which is commonly owned with the present application and which discloses a device having a shade detector which moves over a surface of a single light-sensitive element to effect an intended distance measurement.
The present invention improvements relates to in the aforedescribed distance detector devices and the provision of a distance detector device which can be manufactured at a reduced cost.